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#175795 - 04/11/08 01:55 PM dictionary entries
tsuwm tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/03/00 Posts: 8584 Loc: this too shall pass	this post actually is inspired by all of the various Hogwash® entires I've seen, and then taking a closer look at various online dictionary styles. that is, definitions are given variously as: a) A phrase with capitalization and punctuation. (OED, AHD) b) a phrase, not capitalized, but punctuated. (compact Oxford, Cambridge) c) a phrase with neither caps nor punctuation (M-W) two questions then: 1) do you favor a particular style? 2) in the past, I've tried to "normalize" entries, generally by using c) for all; do you think this matters, or is a waste of energy? (i.e., should they all be left as submitted?) -joe (stylin' and profilin') friday
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#175798 - 04/11/08 02:47 PM Re: dictionary entries [Re: tsuwm]
AnnaStrophic AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 6380 Loc: lower upstate New York	I think the idea of normalizing entries is a good one, for the obvious reason -- yet I know it's a royal pain. HTH.
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#175803 - 04/11/08 04:40 PM Re: dictionary entries [Re: AnnaStrophic]
Jackie Jackie Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 9601 Loc: Louisville, Kentucky	But, but--wouldn't that negate some peoples' creativity? Since (obviously) dictionaries do it differently, I feel like ours should be, too. But I'll go with majority rule.
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#175806 - 04/11/08 11:14 PM Re: dictionary entries [Re: Jackie]
The Pook The Pook addict Registered: 02/20/08 Posts: 471 Loc: Tasmania	Nah, diverse is best
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#175808 - 04/12/08 08:40 AM Re: dictionary entries [Re: The Pook]
Faldage Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 11424	I have a little trouble seeing how having a capitalaization and punctuation style sheet could negate anyone's creativity. Personally I find some offered definitions so far beyond the pale of dictionary style as to make me reject them entirely, but I suppose one could pull a definition off of, say, Urban Dictionary and have a legitimate yet very poorly formed definition as a result.
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#175809 - 04/12/08 09:28 AM Re: dictionary entries [Re: Faldage]
AnnaStrophic AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 6380 Loc: lower upstate New York	We've also had misspellings in previous games -- a dead giveaway if there ever was one. Maybe we can resolve this by leaving the choice up to each individual Hogmaster/mistress.
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#175810 - 04/12/08 10:30 AM Re: dictionary entries [Re: Faldage]
tsuwm tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/03/00 Posts: 8584 Loc: this too shall pass	Urban Dictionary and... legitimate hmmm.. must be some standard of legitimacy with which I'm unfamiliar. -joe (I suppose one shouldn't) friday
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#175811 - 04/12/08 02:16 PM Re: dictionary entries [Re: tsuwm]
Faldage Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 11424	Well, I wouldn't accept a definition from UD that had 3 thumbs up and 746 thumbs down.
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#175813 - 04/12/08 07:50 PM Re: dictionary entries [Re: Faldage]
The Pook The Pook addict Registered: 02/20/08 Posts: 471 Loc: Tasmania	Part of the fun is seeing 'obviously' fake definitions, especially when they are witticisms framed to give people a laugh rather than aimed at winning the round. Perhaps hogmasters could suggest spelling corrections to submitters, but I don't see why everything should have to sound as though it came out of OED or Webster. I say leave them as untouched as possible, with Common Sense as the final arbiter.
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#175814 - 04/12/08 09:40 PM Re: dictionary entries [Re: The Pook]
wofahulicodoc wofahulicodoc Pooh-Bah Registered: 08/06/01 Posts: 1863 Loc: Worcester, MA	I agree - part of the deception can be in trying to make a real definition look so homespun that it couldn't possibly be the real one, now could it... Spelling and grammar ought to be accurate and consistent, particularly if you want to sound Authentic. Internal consistency is all that should be required, though.
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